Light beams or optical signals can be used to transmit digital data between electronic devices, both over long distances (long haul communications) and short distances, e.g., between data centers (short haul communications), as well as between adjacent circuit boards or even between components on a single circuit board. Consequently, optical technology plays a significant role in modern electronics, and many electronic devices may employ optical components. Examples of such optical components include, but are not limited to, optical or light sources such as light emitting diodes and lasers, waveguides, fiber optics, lenses and other optics, photo-detectors and other optical sensors, optically-sensitive semiconductors, and others.